Sunday, September 26, 2010

The SoCal Raw Milk Raid

I know this is somewhat old news (the raid on Rawesome Foods occurred at the end of July), but what happened (the FDA shutting down the store with guns drawn because they were selling raw items such as Raw Milk. Something which by the way is legal in California, but isn't in almost two dozen states in the US) keeps coming up on conversations so I thought I create a post for another who wanted to check out the LA Times article

It's definitely been a hot button year for the topic of Raw Milk. On March 12th of this year Whole Foods removed all raw milk from their shelves. The official explanation was that they were exploring the subject, weighing their options (there's a big insurance issue with a food item that is legal in some states but not others). It has since been completely banned as a company wide policy.

Most of the time E. Coli is cited for these Raw Milk bans, but if anyone has seen (or smelled) a feed lot (or watched the news about people getting sick because of contamination from these lots) know that's not the whole truth.

Truthfully, I have since been drinking Raw Milk for almost five months (thanks to places like Rawesome and the Santa Monica Co-op) and am perfectly fine (actually better than fine since my skin has cleared up quite a bit) If you take a step back and look at the bigger picture, the California Raw Milk Association (CReMA) notes studies that have found that drinking raw milk reduces the risk of Asthma and Allergies. Along with it's health benefits most people who drink Raw Milk cite its superior flavor and creaminess; in the ultimate foodie country of Italy you can even find it in high end vending machines.

So I think it's better and I drink it.

But that's just my opinion. You too can have an opinion, but having an one requires that you have choices. Remember, if the FDA shuts down stores and food clubs (with guns no less) that sell Raw Milk it's taking away your choice. So whether you chose to try out Raw Milk, the more important point of this blog entry is to be informed.

For me, one of the most memorable moments of Food Inc was at the end of the film when the following words appeared on the screen:
When we run an item past the supermarket scanner, we're voting. You can vote to change this system. Three times a day.

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